Nucor Corp. (NUE): Today's Featured Metals & Mining Laggard

Nucor was a leading decliner within the metals & mining industry, falling 53 cents (-1.3%) to $41.22 on average volume.

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Nucor ( NUE) pushed the Metals & Mining industry lower today making it today's featured Metals & Mining laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day up 1%. By the end of trading, Nucor fell 53 cents (-1.3%) to $41.22 on average volume. Throughout the day, 2.6 million shares of Nucor exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 2.3 million shares. The stock ranged in price between $41.11-$41.98 after having opened the day at $41.90 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $41.75. Other companies within the Metals & Mining industry that declined today were: Quaterra Resources ( QMM), down 10%, China Shen Zhou Mining & Resources ( SHZ), down 8.9%, United States Antimony Corporation ( UAMY), down 8.8%, and China Gengsheng Minerals ( CHGS), down 5.4%.

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Nucor Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of steel and steel products in North America and internationally. It operates through three segments: Steel Mills, Steel Products, and Raw Materials. Nucor has a market cap of $12.95 billion and is part of the basic materials sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 25.8, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 5.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. Currently there are seven analysts that rate Nucor a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and six rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Nucor as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its good cash flow from operations and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.